The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-23
SPIDERS AND THEIR WAYS.
Specimens that are Noted for Their Gun.
ning-Remarkable As Archit ects and Up
hoisterers-Dancing To Cure the Evil of
the TarantuIa's Bite.

Observation-Disclosures to Cure the Evil Of
the Tarantula's Bite.
Boston Herald.
Among ths many things that the ap-
proach of summer brings for one To en-
Joy, or Ia be- source of ANNOYANCE, is
the spider. The spider family is very
numerous. no less than fifty kinds being
described by naturalists. All spiders
have eight legs, three joints in each
and terminating in thin crooked claws.
They also have eight eyes, differently ar
ranged according to the species. Some
have them in "A straight line. others i'm
the shape of capital V. others four
above and four below, others two above
two below, and two on either side. and
there are still Others that have them ar
ranged in a manner too complicated 10
describe without drawings. On the
front part of the head they havs "A pair
of sharp, crooked claws, or forceps,
which stand horizontally, and which,
when not in Use, are hidden frCm
view in little cases beautifully
adapted for their reception. and
in which they fold up like "A clasp knife.
and remain there between two rows of
teeth. When the spider bites il thrusts
white proboscis ont of its mouth. with
which it instils "A poisonous liquid into
the wound. The abdomen, or hind part
of the spider, Is separated from the head
and breast by small. thread-like tube.
The outer skin Is a hard. polished crust.
n very curious specimen not oftep..seen
in this country, but which is said to be
very common in Italy, is the hunting
spider. so called because. instead of spin
ming webs Ia entrap its prey, Il jumps
ON its victim. Ii is small. and of a brown
color, beautifully spotted. and its hind
legs are longer than the others. When
it sees fly three or four yards distant.
il plans its attack with considerable de-
liberation, creeping softly up and seldom
missing its object. When in "A direct
line, the spider springs upon the back of
the unsuspecting fly and catches il by
the head, and, after satisfying its hun
ger, carries the rest away
Fer FUTURE CONSUMPTION.
The nest of this spider il very curious.
Ii is about two inches high, and is com
posed of close, satin-like texture. In
this are two chambers. placed perpen-
dicularly, in which the spider reposes
during the day. generally doing his hunt
ing after nightfall. The parent regu-
larly instructs her young how to pursue
their future avocation, and when in the
course of their instruction they happen
to miss jump, they run away and hide
as though ashamed of their failure.
The most extraordinary nest is that of
the mason spider, a native of the tropics.
This nest is formed of very hard clay.
deeply covered With oxide of iron. ID IL
i'm the form of a tube, about one inch in
diameter and six or seven inches long.
Ii is lined with uniform tapestry of
orange colored silken web, of tex
ture rather thicker than fine pa
per. This lining is useful in two
ways. Ii prevents the walls Of the
house from falling down, and, as
it is connected with the door, il ena bles
the spider to know what il going ON
above, for the whole vibrates when one
part is touched. To one who has never
seen this nest the word door may seem
singular. but, nevertheless. there is IA
door, and very ingenious!y contrived
one. too, and il is regarded as one of the
most curious things in the whole of in
sect architecture. IL is "A little round
piece, made To fit the opening, slightly
convex inside and concave on the outer
side. 1t is composed of twelve or more
layers of web similar To that with which
the nest is lined, laid very closely to-
gether, and SD managed that the inner
layers are the broadest, the others grad
ually diminishing in size, except near the
hinge, which is about an inch long. All
the layers are united and prolonged into
the tube; consequently it is the firmest
The material is so elastic
that the hinge shuts.
AS THOUGH 1T HAD SPRING.
The nest is always made on sloping
bank, and one side is higher than the
other, the hinge being invariably placed
on the highest side. The spider knows
well that when placed in this way the
door will fall and close itself when
pushed from the outside. and so nicely
does it fit n the little Groove made for IL
that the most careful observer can
discover VIII ere the joint is.
the door be removed, another
one will soon he put IN its place. These
spiders hunt their prey by night. and de-
vour them i'm the nest. A pair of spiders,
with twenty or thirty yorng ones, often
live i'm one of these nests.
One of the largest nests to be met
with in this country is that of the
spider, whose web every one
has SEEN spread out like a broad sheet in
the hedges. The middle of this web,
which is of a very close texture, is sus-
pended like sailors hammock by fine
silken threads fastened to higher
The whole curves upward.
down to a long tunnel-shaped
gallery. nearly horizontal AT the entrance.
but winding obliquely until it becomes
almost perpendicular. This gallery is
about quarter of an inch i'm diameter,
is more closely woven that the sheet
part of the web, and generally descends
into "A hole i'm the ground or into a soft
tuft of grass. Here is the spiders dwell
place, where he may be found resting
with his legs extended, ready to spring
and catch the hapless insects which get
i'm his sheet net.
The most famous of all spiders is the
tarantula. Ii is an inhabitant of Italy,
Cyprus aud the East Indies. Its breast
and abdomen are ash-colored, as are also
the wings. which have blacl<ish rings on
the inner side. Its eyes are red, two of
them being larger than the others, and
placed IN the front of its head. Four
others are placed i'm "A transverse direc-
ton near the mouth, and the remaining
two are close To the back. IL generally
lives IN bare fields where the land is soft,
and it avoids damp, shady places.
PREPERRISG A RISING GROUND,
Its nest is four inches deep, half am
inch wide, and curved at the bottom,
and here the insect retreats in unfavora-
bile weather, wegving web at the door
for security against rain and dampness.
In July il casts its skin and lays
eggs to the number of s30,
but does not live to rear the
young, as il dies in the early
winter. The bite of this spider was for
merly regarded - fatal. IL was said
that the part bitten became greatly in
then sickness and faintness
came on, followed 10y difficulty i'm breath
ing and then by death. The only cure
resorted To was music. A musician was
brought to the patient, and he tried one
air after another until one was found
that would make the sufferer dance.
The violence of the exercise brought ON
pr..fus1 t.arsnirafian which cureI the